bobbytodd Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 half way through tonights gig i almost came to blows with some bints boyfriend because i dared to tell her to get down off one of our bass bins.even though i tried explaining that they were over a grand each and that they wernt ment to be stood on.as they were busy calling me asshole ect she spilled her drink all over the bin she had been standing on.so how do you deal with pissed up punters? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 I stop playing and signal to the bar staff to deal with it. I always make it perfectly clear to the client that we dont tolerate any sort of abuse from punters and we'll pull the plug if there's any risk to ourselves or our gear. You're not getting paid to deal with pissed up punters! Truckstop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 Usually by being firm and rude. Unfortunately, p*ssed people don`t do reasoning very well, so you just have to convince them pretty quickly that it is them that will lose, no matter what happens. Had a similar incident in St Albans. A group of blokes walked past and were overheard saying "I`ll have a go on those drums later". no worries, just words. Then one tries to grab the mic - our singer was at him like a shot, told him to f*ck off. Said blokes mate gets involved, and he was told to f*ck off as well. When we started playing, all three of the front-line of the band just stared at these guys - for virtually the whole of the first set. We could see they were getting a bit uncomfortable, but that was the point - it`s our gear, leave it alone, we won`t surrender it lightly. By the end of the night, they were up, dancing, and our best mates for the evening. They realised we "wouldn`t take sh*t, so were decent blokes". If we`d tried reasoning with them, chances are our gear would have been trashed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigd1 Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 [quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1351937573' post='1857022'] Usually by being firm and rude. Unfortunately, p*ssed people don`t do reasoning very well, so you just have to convince them pretty quickly that it is them that will lose, no matter what happens. Had a similar incident in St Albans. A group of blokes walked past and were overheard saying "I`ll have a go on those drums later". no worries, just words. Then one tries to grab the mic - our singer was at him like a shot, told him to f*ck off. Said blokes mate gets involved, and he was told to f*ck off as well. When we started playing, all three of the front-line of the band just stared at these guys - for virtually the whole of the first set. We could see they were getting a bit uncomfortable, but that was the point - it`s our gear, leave it alone, we won`t surrender it lightly. By the end of the night, they were up, dancing, and our best mates for the evening. They realised we "wouldn`t take sh*t, so were decent blokes". If we`d tried reasoning with them, chances are our gear would have been trashed. [/quote] Works until said blokes decide to call your bluff. I think start with explaining to punter your equipment is not a toy etc, if this doesn't work as said before let the bar staff deal with it. We are not at the gig to provide sucurety, and we don't get paid enough to risk a full blown punch up where gear gets smashed by some arsehole who is pissed up. ta very glad BIGd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 We avoid playing dives for a start, but would expect the venue to deal with those things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blademan_98 Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 I have found reasoning rarely works on the drunk. Direct action can land you in trouble too! Leave it to the security / bar staff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 I think that the whole band should have an agreement on what happens in such a situation before you start gigging. The last thing you want is the drummer wading in before anyone's had an opportunity to diffuse the situation. The first thing to do is for the whole band to stop playing. You can't do anything while the rest of the band are carrying on regardless and you're trying to get someone off stage, or gear. Everyband needs a stagemanager. A person who calls the shots when on stage, who decides whether you do an encore, skip tunes, what tunes to play next, stop for a break etc. Usually it's the singer, but it's down to them to deal with the situation and call in staff if it looks like it's going to get nasty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1351952238' post='1857226'] Everyband needs a stagemanager. A person who calls the shots when on stage, who decides whether you do an encore, skip tunes, what tunes to play next, stop for a break etc. Usually it's the singer, but it's down to them to deal with the situation and call in staff if it looks like it's going to get nasty. [/quote] All that should be the band leaders job.If that's the singer,fine,but more often than not,it isn't. If there is any hassle,whoever has the best sightline with someone should signal them to sort it out. Often,you don't actually need to stop playing. [quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1351938958' post='1857040'] We avoid playing dives for a start, but would expect the venue to deal with those things. [/quote] It's not about playing dives....you get drunken idiots at even the poshest of functions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pietruszka Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 We all agree in our band just to tell the punters to get away/off/back in as blunt a way as possible. Theres a couple of places we play regularly and punters try and get on the stage often, nothing bad, they're just pissed or want to talk to us. What we tell them is "you have to get off the stage or the bouncer WILL throw you out". That's always enough for them. I find the blunt and firm way often works, even if it is "no you cant play the drums", "because I said". Telling them how much things cost won't make a blind bit of difference, they're pissed and won't care. Drinks on bass bins? I just tell them very firmly "no drinks on the equipment" and keep telling them that until they remove it. Our guitarist does that with regards to drinks next to his pedal board and it works. In the words of Lord Flashhart, "firm and fruity" is the way! Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 [quote name='bigd1' timestamp='1351938249' post='1857032'] Works until said blokes decide to call your bluff. BIGd [/quote] Agree, but if I wasn`t prepared for the afters, I wouldn`t have the starters. In most cases like that, it`s front - you just have to know your limits and don`t get involved in something you can`t get out of. If someones going to have a go, they`re going to have a go irrespective, nothing said or done will change that. But the trick is to make the ones considering it reconsider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jus Lukin Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 (edited) - Edited February 16, 2022 by Jus Lukin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarebear68 Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 [quote name='Blademan_98' timestamp='1351951696' post='1857219'] I have found reasoning rarely works on the drunk. Direct action can land you in trouble too! Leave it to the security / bar staff. [/quote] Totally agree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1351952238' post='1857226'] The first thing to do is for the whole band to stop playing. You can't do anything while the rest of the band are carrying on regardless and you're trying to get someone off stage, or gear. [/quote] Keef can http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7g3s44FZlY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blademan_98 Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 [quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1352217902' post='1860279'] Keef can [/quote] Hmmmmm I don't think I would get away with that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pietruszka Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 [quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1352217902' post='1860279'] Keef can http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7g3s44FZlY [/quote] Hahaha!! I've had to push someone off a stage before, it's actually rather satisfying! The singer had previously had the mic knocked into his teeth by a dancer at a pub, and so was rather wary of people near the stage. This guy jumps on the stage to take a short cut across the venue so I pushed him off! Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 On the Keef thing, a good few years ago, when I was in a (different to the one I am in now) punk band, a member of the audience started spitting at us. Both myself and the guitarist turned to the side and hit him full in the face with the headstocks of our guitars. It sort-of worked - he waited til after to have a fight with each of us individually - of which he lost both. Then he helped us carry the gear to the van, stating he liked us as we wouldn`t take sh*t from anyone. Strange days................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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